An US bill that might increase Pakistan's Apparel exports

A bill before Congress, would allow Pakistani clothing makers in the Taliban-dominated north-west of the country to export their products duty-free to the US. But critics say that could come at the cost of American workers. American retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Levi Strauss, and brand owners, together with Pakistani manufacturers, are lobbying to expand the terms of the initiative. They say the programme is so restrictive in the products it covers that it is a ‘hollow gesture’ and would not boost the current $3.1bn (£1.9bn) worth of annual textile exports from Pakistan to the US. The bill, championed by Barack Obama, seeks to provide employment for people, who might otherwise be sucked into militant groups, which pay handsomely.